


After the Struggle

by BananaMilkLightning



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Kingdom Hearts III Spoilers, Light Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-19
Updated: 2019-04-19
Packaged: 2020-01-16 17:43:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,404
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18526450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BananaMilkLightning/pseuds/BananaMilkLightning
Summary: [Canon Divergence, Sora and co face off Vanitas way before the Skein of Severance battles in the Keyblade Graveyard]Before Sora arrived in The Final World there is one more person who comes before him. Vanitas awakens in this mirrored world and finds himself beginning to hope for a new beginning, along with two others who have similar wishes.





	After the Struggle

**Author's Note:**

> It was serene in way that was different from his heart...

Vanitas awoke to a clouded blue sky. He felt weightless as if he didn’t have a body, he couldn’t blink or breathe, he was just there, he could just see. Nothing hurt. The water reflected the sky giving the illusion of infinity, he had no idea where he was, the afterlife couldn’t be this.

Before him were stars, made of tiny lights, traversing the strange world. He spun around or he thought he did. He couldn’t feel the motion.

‘Oh, you’re new?’ A voice not far off said.

He was sure he didn’t have a face so any expression he made to show his confusion was futile.

‘Where am I?’ He asked. At least he still had a voice.

‘This is The Final World where people come to rest. Someone out there is keeping you in their thoughts. You won’t be able to move on until they’ve moved on too.’

Vanitas twisted around again; small footsteps approached him. It was a cat? It seemed familiar, like a far of memory. He had an urge to pat its head but he pushed that far, far down. Cute or not he didn’t what it was.

‘I know you’re glaring at me.’ She said.

‘I don’t even have face.’ Vanitas bit back.

The cat rolled its eyes and sighed. ‘You’re going to difficult, aren’t you?’

‘Besides you have to be lying. I’m dead. I know I am because I felt it. There’s no way someone would want me back.’

‘Clearly someone does. Everyone here is like you.’ She waved her tiny paws to the other stars.

‘Then I’m dreaming and this is just my last hallucination before I disappear. Why would a cat be here in the “afterlife”?’

‘I don’t come from here. I’m waiting for someone, just like you are.’

She sat down next to him, looking up at the sky. ‘Why is it so hard to believe someone out there, cares for you. Or you caring enough that you want to be back there?’ She asked.

Was he really going to be stuck here talking to a cat while he just waited to move on? What was he supposed to do here, wait to be rescued, like Ventus? No one was coming. He was sure of that. Irritation bubbled with no output.

The words slipped out before he could stop himself. ‘They gave up. He gave up. It was easy for them to just-’ He cut himself short.

‘Then maybe they regret it. You wouldn’t be here otherwise.’

He hated that he didn’t have a body, he couldn’t feel the way his throat would restrict. Eyes burn at thought of someone caring for him in such a way.

‘What if I don’t want to go back? Why can’t I move on my own?’

The cat shook her head. ‘It doesn’t work like that. Part of it something that you want to do that is keeping you here, the other is someone.’

He knows one person who would try to shelter everyone’s hearts if he could.

‘Stupid Sora.’ He muttered.

It was always Sora. Sora who sheltered Ventus, Sora who became a heartless to free Kairi’s heart. Sora who wanted to bring back Roxas. He wanted to call him pathetic.

A star made up of tiny lights and surrounded by even more floated approached them.

‘Did you say Sora?’ The star asked, her voice light.

‘Why are you listening in? Mind your own business.’ Vanitas said ignoring her question.

The cat bristled next to him. ‘Don’t be rude!’ She said, paws held up to chastise him. ‘Naminé, is this someone you know?’

‘Huh? Oh, no. But I do know Sora.’ The star named Naminé twinkled.

‘Join the club.’ Vanitas spat.

She appeared unfazed and floated closer. ‘If you know him and he’s keeping you here, then you can’t have been that bad a person?’

‘You think I’m even a person?’ His luck must be awful if he had to run into one of Sora’s friends at the very end. Destiny was a joke.

‘You have a heart, don’t you?’

He felt cold. ‘Barely.’

The star twitched and Vanitas had the feeling that she would have rested a hand on his.

‘That’s okay too. We’ll just have to help you when we get back.’ She sounded too optimistic.

‘How do you know that?’

‘It’s a feeling.’ She said vaguely.

They sat together in silence, the chatter from the stars further away not quite reaching their ears. It was the cat who broke it.

‘You two know Sora?’

As if on cue Sora appeared, or at least most of Sora appeared before them. He was translucent, but the blueish tint of spikey hair and crown pendant was unmistakeably Sora.

‘Look what you’ve done. Say his name enough times and you’ll summon him like some kinda dog.’ Vanitas sneered.

The world moved as Naminé shoved him away, using her star shaped form to push him. He thought she was angry but the muffled snickers proved him wrong.

‘He really came.’ Naminé whispered.

He could indulge her. ‘Don’t you want to see him?’ He asked voice lowering to a whisper.

‘I do, but…’ She trailed off and watched the cat and Sora talk. From a distance they stayed there and listened to the cat, he came to know as Chirithy explain the world to Sora.

‘Did everyone die? Even him?’ Vanitas wondered aloud.

Next to him Naminé twirled a little, was she trying to shake her head? ‘They can’t be. They wouldn’t lose so easily and besides do you think Sora would give up either?’

Even though he barely knew him, he did know that much. For someone who held onto so many hearts he doubted Sora would let them go without a fight.

‘Augh! Why am I in pieces?!’ Sora exclaimed.

They suppressed a snort as Chirithy sighed in exasperation, Sora disappeared soon after touching a curiously bright gate. The cat turned into a ball of light and disappeared up into the sky. Maybe she was watching over him.

‘Is there something you wanted to do back on your world? Like Chirithy said, something could be keeping you here.’

‘You mean _unfinished business_?’

Naminé hummed in response.

‘Make the X-blade, become part of Ventus again, or finally die?’ He floated away from her. ‘Looks like I’ve nearly made it.’ He said coldly.

‘I don’t think you believe that.’ Naminé rebuked, floating back closer to him.

‘How would you know? My heart was never whole to begin with. I’m made of pure darkness, my body is always in pain, even my face isn’t mine. I thought if I could re-join with Ventus everything would work out, but here I am.’

He felt tired and yet there were things he wanted to do.

‘You still wouldn’t be here if you did!’ She spun around to face him. ‘I may not understand everything but it sounds like you wanted a chance to live freely.’ She added in a strong voice, ‘just like I do.’

Vanitas felt a bit stupid for assuming too much. Of course, Sora’s friends had complicated lives. This was the same person who had a nobody who grew a heart and has multiple nobodies.

‘What happened to you?’ He asked and Naminé seemed to glow brighter in response.

‘It’s a long story, so I’ll tell you part of it now and the rest later, when we have bodies again.’ As if she read his mind she continued, ‘I consider us friends now so we definitely have to meet.’

He wanted to make a harsh retort but he doubted she would be swayed. Were all of Sora’s friends like this, so easy to trust someone else?

‘I’m a nobody, or at least I used to be. I didn’t really hold memories of Kairi though, I’m a little different from the Organisation members. By the time I returned to Kairi I already had a heart of my own, like Roxas.’

‘So what? You wanted to live too? You think that makes us the same? I wanted to die, you didn’t, plain and simple.’

‘But that’s just it, isn’t it? Even though it was a choice you think you were free to make, it wasn’t. Not really.’

‘I did make that choice. I chose to be darkness. I chose to die.’

‘Did you ever feel like you could live alongside them?’ She paused. ‘In the light? Maybe someone wants you to.’

Vanitas felt dread settle inside him, coating his being.

‘He gave up.’ His voice was small.

A grain of irritation planted itself in his mind. If Sora knew him better, if Sora was allowed to talk to him more, if it was Sora maybe he would have made that choice. He would have understood, his own best friend used both darkness and light, he hadn’t hesitated to befriend the Organisation members. Whatever balance Ventus wanted the not-darkness and not-light was given up in mere seconds.

Naminé’s voice rang clear. ‘Their heart hasn’t.’

Maybe Sora did have some part in keeping him here but who else would it be but Ventus?

A burst of light hailed Sora’s return. He looked around for someone, Chirithy, Vanitas assumed and wandered around, talking to the other stars. When Sora ventured closer to them, Vanitas floated away and watched him talk to Naminé. Sora’s ear-splitting grin made him wonder what it would look like on his face, if he could be that happy. The star seemed to perk up and shone brightly. ‘I’ve got your back’, he heard her say. Moments later the boy raised a hand and surveyed the world around him. To his alarm Sora gestured in his direction, smile affixed on his face.

‘Hey!’ Naminé called. When he didn’t move, Naminé called again, Sora primed, ready to join.

He relented and slowly made his way to them, wishing he had a face to scowl.

‘What does the baby bird want?’ He asked with as much venom he could muster.

‘Hey! I’m not a bird.’ Sora said loudly

He was almost too easy to tease. ‘So, you’re a baby?’

 Sora huffed and crossed his arms. ‘Naminé thinks I know you.’

‘You know each other.’ Naminé chimed in.

‘Right.’ Sora nodded. ‘You know Ventus?’

Vanitas turned to Naminé who only sparkled in response.

‘You don’t know me but I know Ventus. Nothing else to it.’ It wasn’t an entire lie but if was sufficient enough for Sora to back off on whatever he was thinking about, then it would do.

‘You called him stupid earlier.’ She said.

He was beginning to think he talked to Naminé for far too long and if he stayed there for much longer, he was sure Sora would figure out who he was. Looks were deceiving.

Sora frowned. ‘Rude, what have I ever done to you?’

‘Nothing. Shouldn’t you get back before your _friends_ begin to think you’re dead forever?’ Sora gave him a funny look and squinted as if he was trying to remember something.

‘What’s your name?’ Vanitas was sure Naminé was doing this on purpose. If she had a face she would be grinning, he was sure of it.

‘Terra?’ Sora asked, cocking his head to the side.

Vanitas cringed inwardly. How did Sora ever come to that conclusion? Did he know nothing of where Terra’s heart really was?

‘That’s not what I meant at all!’ Naminé cried out.

‘I think you left a few pieces of yourself behind. Especially the parts with a brain.’ He said hotly.

‘Oh gee…’ Sora placed a hand on his hip. ‘So, you know me and we both know Ventus, but I should know you?’ He looked to Naminé. ‘I haven’t forgotten anybody else have I?’

Naminé’s voice twinkled with mirth ‘No, I don’t think so.’ She swivelled closer to Vanitas. ‘Just tell him.’

‘If could forcibly make myself pass on I would.’ Vanitas said, distancing himself.

Sora shook his head. ‘Don’t say that. You’re Naminé’s friend, right? Are you Ventus’ too?’

They weren’t. They never were. There wasn’t even a fake bitter sense of rivalry between them. No grand story of falling out of friendship. Not any kind of love between them.

‘I don’t have friends.’ He said, a little too quickly, judging the look on Sora’s face.

‘Well, Naminé and I are your friends.’

‘Since when did that happen?’

Sora smiled. ‘Just now. The three of us are friends.’ He basked his triumph for a moment. ‘Oh!’ Hands scratched at a cheek. ‘Do you want a body?’

‘N-’ Naminé interrupted him, ‘Yes, he does!’

‘This is your chance. You don’t want to be stuck waiting here, do you? You can ask Ventus yourself.’

Warmth tingled, he wanted to ignore it. ‘My heart isn’t complete.’

‘Didn’t you know? Those with whole hearts make it here. So that means you gained a whole heart too.’

‘I’m whole?’ He murmured.

When did he gain a whole heart? It certainly couldn’t have been during his time with Master Xehanort. Was it when he was brought forward this time? In his desperation for last try to forge the X-blade and “reunite” with Ventus? What did it even look like without him?

Sora raised a hand to his heart. ‘We’ll bring you back. Both of you, I promise.’

That warmth blossomed. He wanted to hope but at the same time he didn’t want to. Sora’s eyes were determined, he barely knew him but he was so willing to reach out, to take someone’s hand and even tug on it hard when he felt it was right. Naminé appeared to have similar feelings and she nudged him using a pointed end.

It would be stupid to believe yet-

‘Okay.’

Sora grinned. His crinkled eyes did nothing to contain the sheer joy that was present as he rubbed his nose.

‘I’ll see you later.’ He said and waved to them.

Chirithy appeared again not long after. It was time for Sora to go back. The pair of stars watched as Sora took out a strange device and give it to Chirithy. He ran off a few metres away and posed.

Naminé twirled around in a circle. ‘I hope I remember this place so I can draw it.’

With a final ‘well. See ya ‘round! And thanks!’ reply from Sora to Chirithy, he vanished from the world. She came to sit with them and stare out across the glassy horizon.

Vanitas was almost sad to see him go.

**Author's Note:**

> @/Nomura 'Okay, I don’t believe you.'  
> Riku Replica & Naminé & Vanitas trio  
> [In my head it made more sense for The Final World and sequence leading to it to happen after everyone fought each other. Like a last big knockdown before they face The Xehanort.]


End file.
